This month there were 3,733,200 online advertised job vacancies, a 0.6 percent decline from the March 2007 level, according to The Conference Board.
The decline in online help wanted ads reflects a slowing in annual growth in 42 states, of which 14 states were negative. In March, there were 2.4 advertised vacancies posted online for every 100 persons in the labor force, down from a high of 2.9 in April 2007. The New England, South Atlantic and Pacific regions show a decline in annual labor demand.
“The softening in advertised vacancies evident over the last few months spread to more states in March and, for the first time, annual growth turned negative for the nation as a whole,” Gad Levanon, economist at The Conference Board, said in a statement. “It would not be surprising to see a third straight month of job losses when employment data are released later this week as well as continued weakness in the months ahead. The weak demand for labor and a soft employment market help explain the significant decline in the Consumer Confidence Index released last week, which dropped to 64.5, its lowest level since 2003.”
